As the book begins, Athena petitions to Zeus to ask him to make Calypso let Odysseus go. In response, Zeus sends the giant-killer Hermes to tell the nymph Calypso to let Odysseus go. However, Zeus sets some parameters : he must return on a makeshift raft that is wrung with pains. On the twentieth day he is to arrive in the land of Phaeacians who would send him off to his own land with many treasures. His destiny is to arrive intact with his own fair share.
Upon Hermes’ arrival at Calypso’s cave, where Odysseus is being held against his will, Calypso welcomes him warmly. However, upon the realization of the news that Hermes has brought, Calypso becomes angry at the gods but ultimately relents. She relates the news to Odysseus but gives him a warning, “But if only you knew, down deep, what pains are fated to fill your cup before you reach that shore, you’d stay right here, preside in our house with me and be immortal” (159).
Odysseus does not heed her warning and sets about to creating a raft out of twenty tree trunks. He finished after four days. He set sail with Calypso’s blessing and had the finest rations Calypso could provide. He sailed for eighteen days without any sign of trouble and saw the Phaeacians’ island in the distance.
Poseiden spotted Odysseus and immediately strove to shipwreck Odysseus. Odysseus was thrown off his ship and was drowning when Ino, Cadmus’ daughter spotted him. Ino called Leucothea who pitied Odyssues. Leucothea tells Odysseus to take off his clothes and leave his raft for he must swim the rest of the way. However, she gives him a magical scarf that makes him immune to pain and death. But he must take the scarf once he reaches the land because its magic will wear off.
When Poseiden sent a monstrous wave at Odysseus he quickly throws away his clothes (given to him by Calypso) and after tying the scarf to his waist he dived into the water. Poseiden struck with all his might until Athena calmed the winds that were assaulting Odysseus. Once Odysseus was within shouting distance from land, however, Poseiden struck again and blew Odysseus away from the coast and into a river. Sensing the river’s god, Odysseus prayed to the god for safe passage and Odysseus safely made it to land. Even though he was extremely tired, Odysseus untied the scarf and through it into the river. Odysseus realized that it was not safe because he was near the water and wild animals could eat him. He deliberated what to do next. Odysseus crawls underneath two olive bushes and lay there, resting, and recovering for his next journey.
Characters:
Tithonus: Tithonus is a character from the Illiad. He is mentioned at the beginning of Book 5. He is the husband of Dawn and was the son of the King of Troy. He was granted immortality but Dawn forgot to ask Zeus for eternal youth so he became older and older.
Zeus: Zeus is the king of all gods. He is the God of the Sky and the God of Thunder. He was the one who overthrew Kronos (king of the Titans). He is also known as the embodiment of the Greek religions because he played such a central role.
Athena: Athena was the goddess of wisdom and battle. She was born under strange circumstances, Zeus had swallowed her mother because he feared her having any children, but her mother conceived Athena inside of Zeus. One day Zeus told Hephaestus (the god of the forge) to split open his head because he had headaches. When Hephaestus did so, Athena burst from his head.
Odysseus: Odysseus is the main character in the whole poem. He is the ruler of the island of Ithica, and a hero in the Trojan war. He kills the Cyclops, who is the god Poseidon's son, so Poseidon makes his trip home last 10 years.
Calypso: Calypso is a goddess who lives in a very secluded cave as a punishment for being the daughter of the titan Atlas. The cave is a beautiful place surrounded by a lush forest and garden. When Odysseus‘ ship crashes, Calypso helps him, but then does not let him leave. Calypso is in love with Odysseus and wants to marry him, but Odysseus just wants to get home to his family: “…his eyes never dry, his sweet life flowing away with the tears he wept for his foiled journey home” (157). The goddess Athena suggests to the other gods that they should help Odysseus to get home, so they send Hermes, the messenger god, to Calypso’s home. Calypso welcomes Hermes and feeds him food and wine. Hermes tells Calypso that she needs to let Odysseus go. Calypso was angry at this because the gods can have relations with mortal women, but whenever a goddess has relations with a mortal man, the gods get angry: “Hard-hearted you are, you gods! You unrivaled lords of jealousy- scandalized when goddesses sleep with mortals, openly, even when one has made the man her husband” (156). Despite her anger, she reluctantly agrees to let Odysseus go. She also agreed to help Odysseus because he doesn’t have a boat, crew, or sufficient supplies to make it home: “…cut your lengthy timbers, make them into a broad –beamed raft…And I myself will stock her with food and water…give you clothing” (157).Odysseus thought that Calypso was making a plan to harm him, but she assured him she was not. Odysseus builds his raft in four days. On the fifth day, Calypso gave Odysseus clothes and put water, wine, and food on board the raft, and made a wind to direct Odysseus home. Calypso proves to be a very influential character in Odysseus’ journey. She keeps Odysseus from getting home at first, but then she aides him in getting on his way.
Telemachus: Telemachus is Odysseus' son. The first four books of the Odyssey are about him in his search to find out whether Odysseus is alive or not. Athena inspired him on this journey.
Hermes: Hermes is the god of messengers. The epithet which refers to him is, "Giant-Killer".
Artemis: Artemis is the goddess of the moon and an eternal maiden. She had a twin brother, Apollo, who is the God of the Son.
Demeter: Demeter is the daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. She is the goddess of fertility and the harvest and thus was a crucial goddess in Ancient Greek cultures.
Poseiden: Poseiden is the god of earthquakes, the sea, and horses. Thus when Odysseus provoked his wrath he made it exceedingly difficult to return home as he had to cross the sea.
Ino-Leuothea: They are the same person. Ino was once a mortal princess and a princess of Thebes. However, she became a sea goddess and often helped sailors in distress. She noticed Odysseus in trouble and saved him. She gave Odysseus a magical scarf that made him immune to death and pain. However, he was required to take it off after he reached land.
Literary Techniques: Epithet: Calypso- Lustrous Goddess/queenly nymph Hermes- Giant-killer/messenger Zeus-thunder god Dawn- rose red fingers Athena- bright eyed one
Epithets are important because they make the characters that are most important stand out. By saying “the lustrous goddess” instead of Calypso, and “the giant-killer” instead of Hermes, the characters are given an air of importance. Epithets are used throughout all the books. Foreshadow:
“But if you only knew, down deep, what pains are fated to fill your cup before you reach that shore, you’d stay right here, preside in our hose with me and be immortal”(158-159).
Foreshadowing is important because they give a hint as to what might happen later in the book. In this case, we can infer that more trouble is ahead for Odysseus.
Irony:
Because of the foreshadowing, we know that something bad will happen to Odysseus, but Odysseus is expecting an easy trip home. This is an example of dramatic irony.
Geography: Book 5 takes place mainly at Calypso's cave. Her cave is surrounded by a lush forest and garden where she gets her food. The cave is on Calypso's Island. The rest of the island is mostly barren and inhospitable, but the area around the cave is lush and fertile.
Leisure Activities: Theater was a large part of everyday Greek life. While women weren't allowed in theaters, the men would often go to watch dramas in honor of the Gods. They were mainly focused on the principles of destiny and fate. This largely influenced the Odyssey because the main factors keeping Odysseus from reaching his home was the interference of Poseiden (the sea god). Ancient Greeks were considered the fathers of theatre. Banquets and feats were very common in Ancient Greece and hospitality was a given. This is probably why Telemachus and his mother Penelope endured the suitors for so long. It was considered a taboo to send away strangers and because Zeus was also the God of Hospitality, they most probably feared divine retribution.
Works Cited:
Atsma, Aaron J. "LEUCOTHEA : Greek Sea Goddess ; Mythology ; Pictures : LEUKOTHEA." THEOI GREEK MYTHOLOGY, Exploring Mythology & the Greek Gods in Classical Literature & Art. 2008. Web. 7 Feb. 2011. <http://www.theoi.com/Pontios/Leukothea.html>.
Elizabeth, Mary, and Bronwyn Harris. "Who Is Demeter?" WiseGEEK: Clear Answers for Common Questions. 08 Nov. 2010. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. <http://www.wisegeek.com/who-is-demeter.htm>.
Odysseus On Calypso's Island
Synopsis:
As the book begins, Athena petitions to Zeus to ask him to make Calypso let Odysseus go. In response, Zeus sends the giant-killer Hermes to tell the nymph Calypso to let Odysseus go. However, Zeus sets some parameters : he must return on a makeshift raft that is wrung with pains. On the twentieth day he is to arrive in the land of Phaeacians who would send him off to his own land with many treasures. His destiny is to arrive intact with his own fair share.
Upon Hermes’ arrival at Calypso’s cave, where Odysseus is being held against his will, Calypso welcomes him warmly. However, upon the realization of the news that Hermes has brought, Calypso becomes angry at the gods but ultimately relents. She relates the news to Odysseus but gives him a warning, “But if only you knew, down deep, what pains are fated to fill your cup before you reach that shore, you’d stay right here, preside in our house with me and be immortal” (159).
Odysseus does not heed her warning and sets about to creating a raft out of twenty tree trunks. He finished after four days. He set sail with Calypso’s blessing and had the finest rations Calypso could provide. He sailed for eighteen days without any sign of trouble and saw the Phaeacians’ island in the distance.
Poseiden spotted Odysseus and immediately strove to shipwreck Odysseus. Odysseus was thrown off his ship and was drowning when Ino, Cadmus’ daughter spotted him. Ino called Leucothea who pitied Odyssues. Leucothea tells Odysseus to take off his clothes and leave his raft for he must swim the rest of the way. However, she gives him a magical scarf that makes him immune to pain and death. But he must take the scarf once he reaches the land because its magic will wear off.
When Poseiden sent a monstrous wave at Odysseus he quickly throws away his clothes (given to him by Calypso) and after tying the scarf to his waist he dived into the water. Poseiden struck with all his might until Athena calmed the winds that were assaulting Odysseus. Once Odysseus was within shouting distance from land, however, Poseiden struck again and blew Odysseus away from the coast and into a river. Sensing the river’s god, Odysseus prayed to the god for safe passage and Odysseus safely made it to land. Even though he was extremely tired, Odysseus untied the scarf and through it into the river.
Odysseus realized that it was not safe because he was near the water and wild animals could eat him. He deliberated what to do next. Odysseus crawls underneath two olive bushes and lay there, resting, and recovering for his next journey.
Characters:
Tithonus: Tithonus is a character from the Illiad. He is mentioned at the beginning of Book 5. He is the husband of Dawn and was the son of the King of Troy. He was granted immortality but Dawn forgot to ask Zeus for eternal youth so he became older and older.Zeus: Zeus is the king of all gods. He is the God of the Sky and the God of Thunder. He was the one who overthrew Kronos (king of the Titans). He is also known as the embodiment of the Greek religions because he played such a central role.
Athena: Athena was the goddess of wisdom and battle. She was born under strange circumstances, Zeus had swallowed her mother because he feared her having any children, but her mother conceived Athena inside of Zeus. One day Zeus told Hephaestus (the god of the forge) to split open his head because he had headaches. When Hephaestus did so, Athena burst from his head.
Odysseus: Odysseus is the main character in the whole poem. He is the ruler of the island of Ithica, and a hero in the Trojan war. He kills the Cyclops, who is the god Poseidon's son, so Poseidon makes his trip home last 10 years.
Calypso: Calypso is a goddess who lives in a very secluded cave as a punishment for being the daughter of the titan Atlas. The cave is a beautiful place surrounded by a lush forest and garden. When Odysseus‘ ship crashes, Calypso helps him, but then does not let him leave. Calypso is in love with Odysseus and wants to marry him, but Odysseus just wants to get home to his family: “…his eyes never dry, his sweet life flowing away with the tears he wept for his foiled journey home” (157). The goddess Athena suggests to the other gods that they should help Odysseus to get home, so they send Hermes, the messenger god, to Calypso’s home. Calypso welcomes Hermes and feeds him food and wine. Hermes tells Calypso that she needs to let Odysseus go. Calypso was angry at this because the gods can have relations with mortal women, but whenever a goddess has relations with a mortal man, the gods get angry: “Hard-hearted you are, you gods! You unrivaled lords of jealousy- scandalized when goddesses sleep with mortals, openly, even when one has made the man her husband” (156). Despite her anger, she reluctantly agrees to let Odysseus go. She also agreed to help Odysseus because he doesn’t have a boat, crew, or sufficient supplies to make it home: “…cut your lengthy timbers, make them into a broad –beamed raft…And I myself will stock her with food and water…give you clothing” (157).Odysseus thought that Calypso was making a plan to harm him, but she assured him she was not. Odysseus builds his raft in four days. On the fifth day, Calypso gave Odysseus clothes and put water, wine, and food on board the raft, and made a wind to direct Odysseus home. Calypso proves to be a very influential character in Odysseus’ journey. She keeps Odysseus from getting home at first, but then she aides him in getting on his way.
Telemachus: Telemachus is Odysseus' son. The first four books of the Odyssey are about him in his search to find out whether Odysseus is alive or not. Athena inspired him on this journey.
Hermes: Hermes is the god of messengers. The epithet which refers to him is, "Giant-Killer".
Artemis: Artemis is the goddess of the moon and an eternal maiden. She had a twin brother, Apollo, who is the God of the Son.
Demeter: Demeter is the daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. She is the goddess of fertility and the harvest and thus was a crucial goddess in Ancient Greek cultures.
Poseiden: Poseiden is the god of earthquakes, the sea, and horses. Thus when Odysseus provoked his wrath he made it exceedingly difficult to return home as he had to cross the sea.
Ino-Leuothea: They are the same person. Ino was once a mortal princess and a princess of Thebes. However, she became a sea goddess and often helped sailors in distress. She noticed Odysseus in trouble and saved him. She gave Odysseus a magical scarf that made him immune to death and pain. However, he was required to take it off after he reached land.
Literary Techniques:
Epithet:
Calypso- Lustrous Goddess/queenly nymph
Hermes- Giant-killer/messenger
Zeus-thunder god
Dawn- rose red fingers
Athena- bright eyed one
Epithets are important because they make the characters that are most important stand out. By saying “the lustrous goddess” instead of Calypso, and “the giant-killer” instead of Hermes, the characters are given an air of importance. Epithets are used throughout all the books.
Foreshadow:
“But if you only knew, down deep, what pains are fated to fill your cup before you reach that shore, you’d stay right here, preside in our hose with me and be immortal”(158-159).
Foreshadowing is important because they give a hint as to what might happen later in the book. In this case, we can infer that more trouble is ahead for Odysseus.
Irony:
Because of the foreshadowing, we know that something bad will happen to Odysseus, but Odysseus is expecting an easy trip home. This is an example of dramatic irony.
Geography:
Book 5 takes place mainly at Calypso's cave. Her cave is surrounded by a lush forest and garden where she gets her food. The cave is on Calypso's Island. The rest of the island is mostly barren and inhospitable, but the area around the cave is lush and fertile.
Leisure Activities:
Theater was a large part of everyday Greek life. While women weren't allowed in theaters, the men would often go to watch dramas in honor of the Gods. They were mainly focused on the principles of destiny and fate. This largely influenced the Odyssey because the main factors keeping Odysseus from reaching his home was the interference of Poseiden (the sea god). Ancient Greeks were considered the fathers of theatre. Banquets and feats were very common in Ancient Greece and hospitality was a given. This is probably why Telemachus and his mother Penelope endured the suitors for so long. It was considered a taboo to send away strangers and because Zeus was also the God of Hospitality, they most probably feared divine retribution.
Works Cited:
Atsma, Aaron J. "LEUCOTHEA : Greek Sea Goddess ; Mythology ; Pictures : LEUKOTHEA." THEOI GREEK MYTHOLOGY, Exploring Mythology & the Greek Gods in Classical Literature & Art. 2008. Web. 7 Feb. 2011. <http://www.theoi.com/Pontios/Leukothea.html>.
Elizabeth, Mary, and Bronwyn Harris. "Who Is Demeter?" WiseGEEK: Clear Answers for Common Questions. 08 Nov. 2010. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. <http://www.wisegeek.com/who-is-demeter.htm>.
Goettel, Diane, and Bronwyn Harris. "Who Is Artemis?" WiseGEEK: Clear Answers for Common Questions. Web. 05 Feb. 2011. <http://www.wisegeek.com/who-is-artemis.htm>.
"SparkNotes: The Odyssey: Books 5–6." SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study Guides. 2010. Web. 1 Feb. 2011. <http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/odyssey/section3.rhtml>.
Hunter, James. "Odysseus." Encyclopedia Mythica: Mythology, Folklore, and Religion. 03 Mar. 1997. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. <http://www.pantheon.org/articles/o/odysseus.html>.